


Nine Months

by ChelleLeigh1917



Series: The First Years [2]
Category: The White Queen (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-06
Updated: 2014-06-06
Packaged: 2018-02-03 14:52:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,628
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1748558
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChelleLeigh1917/pseuds/ChelleLeigh1917
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She could not understand it, she was almost never ill, at least not like this. Yet each of the last five mornings, she’d not been able to keep her breakfast down.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Nine Months

It was the first time they’d been separated since their marriage, and at times Anne was relieved. It was strange, she’d never thought she’d feel relief at Richard being gone, but she also had never thought she’d feel so completely ill in the mornings. She could not understand it, she was almost never ill, at least not like this. Yet each of the last five mornings, she’d not been able to keep her breakfast down. 

She was also so very tired. Anne found herself taking a nap every afternoon, and retiring early in the evenings. She wondered perhaps if she was not just missing Richard horribly. And she did miss her husband terribly. She could not wait for Richard to be home, yet of course she hoped she would be well by the time he returned. 

“My lady?” Her maid, Bess said. 

Anne looked up from the bed. Bess had opened the coffer which contained the linen clothes Anne used during her monthly bleeding. “What is it, Bess?” She asked. 

“It occurs to me you’ve not needed these this month.” Bess replied. 

Anne’s eyes grew wide. “It’s been what….five or six weeks?”

Bess thought for a moment. “Closer to seven, my lady.” 

Anne’s hand went to her stomach. “Then perhaps….” 

Bess hide a smile. “Perhaps.” 

Anne looked up and blushed. Of course her maid realized she and Richard were quite active in the bedchamber. 

“There are other signs too, my lady.” Bess said, as she put the coffer away. 

Anne was quiet for a moment, remembering the early symptoms of Isabel’s pregnancy. “The nausea and tiredness.” She said as she sat down for Bess to do her hair. 

“Exactly, my lady.” Bess said as she started to braid Anne’s hair. 

Anne was quiet. “There was a messenger stating, the Duke is to return today.” She said softly.

“There are other signs, that he may notice.” Bess said, as she started to pin Anne’s hair up. 

Anne looked up at her in the mirror. “Such as?”

“A woman’s breasts are often tender.” Bess replied. 

“A man and a woman are not to lie together when she is with child.” Anne said softly. 

“You do not know you are with child, my lady.” Bess replied. 

Anne smiled softly. “I will wait a few days to consult a midwife.” She said softly. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Richard laughed softly, as he slid down from his horse, and into Anne’s arms. Three weeks away from Middleham, and he’s missed her horribly. 

“Welcome home.” Anne murmured. 

He smiled softly. “If this is how you always greet me when I return, then it will always be a pleasure to return.” 

Anne laughed very softly. “I have missed you.” 

“And I have missed you.” Richard said softly, his hand on her back, guiding and supporting her as they walked up the stairs and into the hall. He noticed she didn’t move away. Anne was so independent, honestly it amused him at times. 

“I’ve ordered a bath for you.” She said softly. 

“Are you trying to say I stink of the road.” He laughed softly. 

Anne looked up, a little flustered. “No, of course not…” 

He pulled her close, and kissed her forehead. “Shhh, tis only a tease.” He murmured. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Anne sighed softly, closing her eyes. She was resting, her head in Richard’s lap. He’d been home for hours, and they had dressed in their nightclothes to go into the outer chamber to eat. 

Richard gently stroked her hair with one hand, the other rested against her belly, and gently stroking it. 

“Richard.” She murmured. 

“Hmmmm?” He asked softly. 

She was quiet for a moment. Should she tell him now? Or wait until she’d consulted the midwife? 

“What sweetheart?” He said softly, after giving her a few moments to speak.

“I think I may be with child.” She murmured. 

“Anne…” He breathed. 

She opened her eyes, and looked up at him. She couldn’t help but smile at the look of amazed joy on his face. 

“Oh, Anne…” He murmured. “There’s no better news you could have given me.” 

She blinked away the tears. Why in the world was she about to cry? “I’ve not consulted a midwife yet.” She murmured. 

He smiled softly. “Then you will tomorrow.” He murmured. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Anne wanted to laugh as Richard rushed up the stairs to help her. She was about four months gone with the child now. Her belly was starting to swell with the child, and Richard was so protective of her. She’d relished her independence, especially after her first marriage. She was discovering though, how much she loved Richard’s protectiveness, his attention to her. As his arm went around her, she let herself relax against him, letting him take just a small bit of her weight. 

“How are you?” Richard asked softly, as they reached the bottom of the stairs. 

“Oh, I am well.” She smiled. 

“And our boy.” He smiled softly. He was so certain the baby would be a boy. 

“Oh, our daughter is well.” Anne grinned. She loved teasing him, telling him she was certain the baby was a girl. She’d never mentioned that in her dreams, she always held their son. 

He laughed softly, his hand against her belly. “Son, would you please tell your mother she is wrong.” He said softly. 

Anne could not help but laugh at that. A few months later though, she felt a kick, and her eyes flew up to Richard’s. 

He looked at her, his eyes so wide. “Is that….” 

She nodded. “Yes, that’s the baby.”

Richard laughed softly, pulling her close. “I believe he’s telling you emphatically that you are wrong.” He murmured against her hair. 

Anne could not help but laugh at that. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Anne opened her eyes, and glanced down at Richard who lay with his head near her belly. He was gently stroking her belly, as he talked quietly to the baby. She listened as he talked about teaching their son to ride, to shoot a bow, all the things little boys would learn. She smiled to herself. She was certain the baby would be a boy too, but she kept her certainty to herself, for she had so much enjoyment teasing him that she carried a girl. 

“You should tell her what her papa is going to do with her.” Anne smiled softly. 

“Shush.” He said softly. He realized she’d dozed off earlier, and during that time, he’d reassured the baby he would not mind at all to have a daughter. 

She smiled as his head came to rest next to hers on the pillow. She turned her head, gently kissing him. 

“Are you ready to sleep?” He asked softly. 

Anne shook her head. Tomorrow, her confinement would begin, and she wanted to spend as much time with Richard as possible. 

“You know, I’ll stay awake with you.” He said softly. 

“I know, and I love you for that.” She said softly. 

“I love you too.” He kissed her gently. 

Anne sighed softly, kissing him, her fingers tangling in his hair. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She’d been in confinement for over two weeks, and honestly about to go crazy from it, when her pains finally began. As much as she’d tried to prepare herself, her labor pains were more than she could have ever imagined. 

There were times, she wanted to call for Richard, although she knew it was forbidden. She was almost certain he would have come to her if he’d known. In the end, it took her almost a full day, and the sound of the baby crying was the best sound she’d heard in her life. She’d both laughed and cried when the midwife had held the baby up for her to see, and said she’d had a little boy. But the moment, she held him, she wasn’t certain she’d ever loved anyone this much. This little boy she’d brought into the world. She knew his name would be Edward. She and Richard had discussed it early during her pregnancy. She knew Richard would want to name their son for his brother, and she was fine with that; as long as they called the baby Ned. 

She smiled at Richard and held her hand out to him, as he was finally allowed in. As she looked at the shadows under his eyes, she realized he’d not slept at all. “Our boy, Richard.” She said softly, as he slipped into the bed next to her. 

Richard wrapped his arms around her, his head resting against her shoulder. “Our boy.” He said very softly. “Our Ned.” He was so grateful for God’s provision, that both his wife and son had survived the birth. 

“He’s small, but he will grow.” She murmured. 

“Then he is like his father.” He said softly. 

Anne smiled very softly. “So he is.” She could ask for nothing more, a son who was like Richard. 

He kissed her neck. “And I have missed you terribly.” 

Anne smiled softly. “I have missed you.” She shifted a little, handing their little boy to his father. She smiled as Richard easily supported his head. 

“He’s perfect.” Richard breathed. 

A few moments later, the wet nurse came to take Ned to be fed. Anne settled easily into Richard’s arms. “You’ve not slept.” She murmured. 

“I couldn’t sleep until I knew.” He said softly. 

“I love you for that.” She said softly. 

“Are you ready to sleep?” He said softly. 

Anne looked up, as she realized he must have known how badly she’d slept the last few nights. “You’ll stay until I fall asleep.” 

“I’ll stay until I must leave.’ He murmured, snuggling close to her. 

When the wet nurse returned with little Ned, she found his parents asleep in each other’s arms. She did not have the heart to disturb them.


End file.
